I've tried positioning my cueball on the spot and hitting with follow and draw. I've tried off the side rails on the head string. I've tried at the quarter diamond. And all of it is very inconsistent. Sometimes I get good breaks, sometimes bad. Sometimes the 8b moves, sometimes it doesn't.

So what works for you guys?

Remember this is a full 8 ball rack, not 9 ball.

Feel free to use the RSB Table for illustration.

RSB Table (http://endeavor.med.nyu.edu/~wei/pool/pooltable2.html)

pooldaddy9

05-31-2003, 09:34 PM

I break from the left side about an inch to the right of the rail by the second dot with a little left bottom. Sometimes the eight might go in the side. The cue ball usually ends up in the middle of the table.

9 Ball Girl

05-31-2003, 11:20 PM

I haven't played 8 ball in months but I break from the spot, center ball. They really spread out and I've even made the 8 ball a couple of times. Maybe it's all in the momentum?

nAz

06-01-2003, 12:12 AM

Here is where i break from on 8B. right side about 8in. from rail along the head string.
I strike the CB between 5-6 o'clock One tip, and aim for the first and second ball.
It works for me and i get a lot of action on the 8B.

I almost always break from slightly right-center of exact middle of table with cue ball about 6-8" from bottm rail. I have a fairly powerful break in my own opinion. I use just a hair of low left english. Not too much. The balls usually spread very well and one falls. My run out rate from the break has been very good lately, 6 of 10 times.

When I break this way the cb will usually jump in the air slightly on impact and stops around the middle left side of table about 6" past side pocket.

DebraLiStarr

06-01-2003, 03:53 AM

Naz,
I break from the same spot as you, but I was taught to draw the cue ball into the rail after striking the second ball, which would mean hitting at 7:00 on the cue ball. Also, for some reason, in your wei diagram, the 8 ball was the 2nd ball instead of being in the middle, so I guess it would be easier for it to go..... /ccboard/images/graemlins/wink.gif

cheesemouse

06-01-2003, 06:48 AM

cycopath,
While I have two standard go too breaks, the side and the nose break, I don't think it is a good idea to marry yourself to anyone break. When in competition I will watch where and how the top seeds are breaking, after all they are not top seeds for no reason. I will adjust my break accordingly if my go too breaks are not working. As a general rule I will break from the nose if the balls are new or used but very clean and racking well and easy to spread. I will use the side second ball break if the balls are dirty and not racking well or spreading well. I do have another secret break I call my "highschool break" but I have to save that for the finals cause I always pull a muscle in my back when I use it......LOL.... /ccboard/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /ccboard/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /ccboard/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Tom_In_Cincy

06-01-2003, 07:01 AM

cycopath (thanks for including the link to the WEI table)
WEI Table (http://endeavor.med.nyu.edu/~wei/pool/pooltable2.html)
I use 3 different breaks. Each can be use on any size table.

I break from one diamond to the left of the head spot. The cueball typically ends up near the center of the table. I dont always get a drop but a good spread on a tight rack.

Laura

jjinfla

06-01-2003, 05:13 PM

If I want a good spread and make a ball I will use the head on shot with center ball hit on the CB. (only one allowed in the q-drill). If I am looking to make the 8 I use what NaZ diagramed. Bottom left shooting from the right side. Bottom right from the left side. I get the 8 to move and has paid off for me. Luck plays a big part here. Learned that one on Sigel's video. Jake

DebraLiStarr

06-01-2003, 05:49 PM

Does anybody know what is meant by a "Boston Break"???? A few years ago someone mentioned that Boston Shorty would hit the rack and have one of the corner balls go around 4 rails like this:

I place the cueball for 8-ball in the same place as I do for 9 ball, unless im on a 9 foot table.

On bar box and 8 footers i place it a few inched behind the center of the headstring (enough to comfortably break from a rail bridge) and slightly to the right about a half inch.

when I hit with follow, it seems the rack usually busts up and 70-80% of it stay around the foot of the table (even with a strong hit). but when i hit with draw the rack seems to get a scatter more and send about 40-50% of the rack up table. leaving me a better spread and not as many clusters normally, plus when hitting low on the cb I can get a better judgement of where the cb is gonna end up, rather then hitting high on it and watching it roll through the rack to carom off evrything else.

thats just my experience. /ccboard/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Rod

06-01-2003, 07:12 PM

If you want to make the 8 move then a break like nAz suggested is best. Hit the second ball with low inside english. You can break from the first diamond on over to the side rail. The c/b doubles the corner and comes back into the rack. An 8 ball on occasion is made this way.
I don't like this break though because it has a tendency to cluster balls on the opposite side you break from. Not only that, breaking with any english just adds another variable.

I break from the first diamond in on the head string. Center c/b to a dead straight hit on the head ball. No english! C/b position can vary a little or break from the opposite side.
Keep in mind to break consistant you need to hit the c/b and rack consistant. If your not anything can happen on the break, some good and some bad. One other small matter, LOL is the table conditions. Humidity really effects how they break, the balls stick together. Dirty or worn out balls is another biggie. If the balls rack poorly they won't break as well. What works for me is good clean equipment and a solid hit on the head ball.

If you find you c/b out of control very often, then you know what to work on. If the equipment is poor, that is an element out of your control, per-say.

Rod

jjinfla

06-02-2003, 09:42 AM

<blockquote><font class="small">Quote Rod:</font><hr>
I don't like this break though because it has a tendency to cluster balls on the opposite side you break from.
<hr /></blockquote>

I have found that they cluster along the side rail on the same side that I break from. On a 9 foot table. Jake

Rod

06-02-2003, 11:16 AM

Well Jake you might be one up on me there. I rarely play 8 ball on a 9 footer and wouldn't break that way if I did. LOL On bar tables however I've seen the clusters on the opposite side. I'll bet I haven't broke that way for a couple of years. I have seen plenty that do though. To me that break seems pointless because of BCA rules or gambling. However if the 8 is a winner on the break in APA or others then I can see why people try.

Rod

Bassn7

06-02-2003, 11:38 AM

One diamond in and on the head string. Use 1/2 tip below center. DO NOT raise the back of the cue or you will jump off the table. Strong level stroke. Dangerous 8-Ball break.

I think this is illegal by some rules, but I have never been called on it. If the rules say you have to hit the headball or second ball, I wouldn't use it.

You don't have to hit this hard to get a good spread. A medium, controlled stroke works best for me. The downside is that the CB will double the corner and end up near the foot rail. I usually make 1-3 balls on the break, and the 8 will go for the side or sometimes the lower right corner.

I pick the side I like, and clear the balls near the foot rail, making sure that I don't get stuck behind any clusters. I try to save one shot to move the CB back to the center of the table to continue. If I can't clear all of my balls from behind the foot spot, I try to make sure that nothing is tied up, and that I control one or both of the corner pockets.

I play 95% of my pool on bar boxes, 8-ball. My break varys. I start on the spot and work my way out, and stop when I find the sweet spot. /ccboard/images/graemlins/smile.gif
I hit the head ball, full-on with 0 english, follow or draw when I'm in the middle section of the table.
Towards the rails I switch to using low inside and hit the 2nd ball as full as possible.

I have noticed that I get to the outside edges of the table more often with dirty balls and/or felt, when the racks aren't as tight.

There is a lot of good advice on this thread /ccboard/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Nightstalker

06-02-2003, 04:30 PM

I normally play it one diamond from the right side, on the head string. I will vary it slightly depending on how my stroke feels at that time. /ccboard/images/graemlins/smile.gif

DSAPOLIS

06-02-2003, 05:19 PM

<blockquote><font class="small">Quote Bassn7:</font><hr> One diamond in and on the head string. Use 1/2 tip below center. DO NOT raise the back of the cue or you will jump off the table. Strong level stroke. Dangerous 8-Ball break.
APA 7, 20 year veteran. (This break is a secret.)
<hr /></blockquote>

This break is no secret, but it is dangerous. Dangerous as in - dangerous for the person that doesn't know how to control the cue ball on the break. Also, in your diagram, you cue ball path line should represent the center of the cue ball. Your path line looks as if you are nicking the side of the one ball, instead of the second ball in the pack. It is one thing to state where the cue ball should start from, but you also must identify where you are going to hit the second ball in the pack. Merely making contact with it is not enough to generate good results. When I brought your diagram up, it looked to me as if your cue ball placement was very suspect. This is especially dangerous in a league environment like APA where many look for ticky tack stuff to call on you. Also, from your break angle, I would challenge you to make solid contact with the second ball. I show my students the "8 on the snap" break, and I have them about 1-6 inches off the rail, which has been suggested by others in this thread.
To keep from scratching, I recommend drawing the cue ball into the side rail, as Debra elaborated on. This serves two purposes,
#1 being that the cue ball gets out of the way,

#2 being that we do not scratch in the top corner pocket, which from the advice you gave in your post, would happen to many.
This is made possible by the angle that the cue ball is headed off of the second ball. I'm not saying that you are handing out bad advice, I am just saying that many players would lose control of the cue ball. Plus, you do not state why the break is deadly, or which ball you can make on this break. In this diagram, pay special attention to the following particulars:

Line A - Cue ball path to contact point. I have diagrammed exactly where you must hit the second ball for optimum ball action.

Line B - Cue ball path after contact. We will have 16 projectiles on the table, let's get 1 of them out of the way. You do not have to stroke this hard at all, just draw the cue ball into the rail. Medium, or 2-3 rail speed will suffice.

Line C - The path of the 8 ball (if you desire to pocket it on this shot) and the yellow line represents the path the one can take, depending on many factors, such as whether the balls are frozen, and where you make contact with the second ball in the pack.

Line D - the path of the back corner ball (s). These balls do not have to go in like a rocket, they can get near the pocket, and get kissed in by the scattering of the other balls. Hitting the break shot too hard will eliminate this factor from any break in any game.